Old news. Bad news. Fake news. Sometimes you want to shut down and get no news at all! I aim to change that by focusing on good people doing good works. I visit with artists, educators, civic & spiritual leaders, musicians, business owners, students, volunteers, and everyday citizens who are using their creativity, resources, and talents to bring hope, happiness, and goodness to their corner of the world.
Episodes
Thursday Dec 09, 2021
Thursday Dec 09, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 122, “The Shifters,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Steve Taylor, author of "Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation" published by New World Library.
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"Just like a blind man that has discovered a jewel in a heap of rubbish, likewise, by some coincidence, an awakening mind has been born within me." With this simple, powerful turn of phrase, the Indian mystic Shantideva laid claim on my heart and framed my personal awakening experience over 25 years ago.
It was a profound moment of illumination in the midst of deep personal pain and set in motion years of curious seeking, discovery, experience, and practice that has offered shelter over my life to this very day. Perhaps this was the reason I so enjoyed the new book by Steve Taylor, "Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation," and why I was so eager to have him visit me on "Find the Good News."
Steve's new book is a collection of potent awakening stories spanning across a wide spectrum of traumatic human experiences such as imprisonment, war, addiction, depression, tragedy, and grief. He presents the common markers exhibited by the awakened—"shifters"—on the other side of a trauma experience.
No stranger to these uncommon causes of awakening, Steve offers a view of minds-and-hearts dawning in plain view, in the shadowy-yet-lovely circumstances of human existence, and in the beautiful, bumpy, ordinary enlightened beings blooming around us in this "heap of rubbish."
Now, I invite you to move beyond fundamentalism, past religious framing, and open yourself to the idea of your own potential for extraordinary awakening, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT STEVE TAYLOR — https://www.stevenmtaylor.com/about-steve-taylor/
BUY A COPY OF "EXTRAORDINARY AWAKENINGS" — https://www.stevenmtaylor.com/books/extraordinary-awakenings/
SEE MORE BOOKS FROM NEW WORLD LIBRARY — https://www.newworldlibrary.com/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 121, “The Raw Honey,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Kori Hahn, author of "Rituals of the Soul: Using the 8 Principles of Yoga to Create a Modern & Meaningful Life" published by New World Library.
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Have you ever had to reinvent yourself, to start again? Did you find that there was a process of letting go, of unlearning, as you started to embrace the changes that came with your rebirth?
Sometimes, it's difficult to use the pieces of our existing life as the compost for new growth, and it can often seem haphazard and clumsy, but with a fair amount of right effort and right attention, plus some helpful advice and guidance along the way, it is possible to build something new, whole, and more familiar and comfortable than we'd likely imagined possible.
In the episode of Find the Good News, I visit with Kori Hahn, author of the new book "Rituals of the Soul: Using the 8 Principles of Yoga to Create a Modern & Meaningful Life," published by New World Library.
In her book and through our conversation, Kori shares the textured and rich accounts of her own journey while imparting important Yogic wisdom in a digestible and engaging format I'd not yet experienced.
What I found in Kori was someone who has searched for meaning and found it—even in the face of great personal loss—reborn with a passionate personal calling to help others find, cultivate, and embrace the sacred rituals evident in their own lives. Where they do not seem to exist, she shows how to create them, then lovingly encourages us to do so.
Now, take a look at your life just as it, with all its twists and bends, all of its ordinary colors and tones, and prepare to discover anew the raw and extraordinary sacred hiding in plain sight, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT KORI HAHN — https://santoshasociety.com/kori-hahn/
BUY A COPY OF "RITUALS OF THE SOUL" — https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781608687527
SEE MORE BOOKS FROM NEW WORLD LIBRARY — https://www.newworldlibrary.com/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Thursday Oct 07, 2021
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 120, “The Permission Slip,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Regina Louise, author of Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Self-Love published by New World Library.
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Is there something in your life that you feel you should have done, but you just couldn't find it in yourself to get started? Maybe you had an internal and unspoken checklist of reasons that you believed were valid enough to keep your personal passions and dreams in check. You might have thought that you weren't old enough, young enough, wealthy enough, educated enough, attractive enough, supported enough, nurtured enough,... normal enough (whatever that means).
I can absolutely recall the times that my inner critic has clubbed me into submission, even as I sit down to share these words with you. What would happen if you and I stopped casting internal stones and stopped believing the negative stories we tell ourselves, and instead started a plan of self-encouragement that pushed us through the gravel of self-doubt?
In this episode, I visit with Regina Louise, author of the new book "Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Self-Love."
Regina is an energetic light with an attractive vibe that makes you want to latch on to her message. It would be easy to say that she's overcome a lot in her life to get to this plateau where she can help others rise and thrive, but that simply doesn't do her story justice. She instead encourages us to wrap our arms around all the broken and damaged bits that weigh people down (that nasty checklist I mentioned earlier) and instead learn to grow through what we go through.
In a world obsessed with celebrities, Regina uses her very real (and sometimes painful) story to advocate for the voiceless without the clout and fame that so many celebrities enjoy and squander.
She wasn't groomed for success. Instead, Regina found a kind of truth in the bumpiness of her own edges. This allowed her to lay down false images of perfection that so many in our society cling to. In allowing her authentic self to blossom, unplugged from the dream of the mainstream, she now leans into and develops her natural gifts to help others realize the same self-love and personal freedom.
Now, I encourage you to think about those fears and jeers you lay upon yourself, all those unnecessary fictions and frictions you've shackled yourself to, and find out what would happen if you loved yourself just as you are, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT REGINA LOUISE — https://www.iamreginalouise.com/
BUY A COPY OF "PERMISSION GRANTED" — https://www.amazon.com/Permission-Granted-Strategies-Bootstrap-Unconditional/dp/1608687260/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
SEE MORE BOOKS FROM NEW WORLD LIBRARY — https://www.newworldlibrary.com/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 119, “The Trembling Trees,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Jonathon Stalls, artist, writer, activist, and founder of Intrinsic Paths.
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Have you ever had a transformative personal experience so profound, so mysterious, that escaped your ability to frame it with words? If you've listened to this program for any length of time then you likely know that I have had such an experience, a moment in this lifetime that seemed to change every other day after it or at least my perception of those moments.
Many of my guests have intimately shared their experiences, and I am fascinated how across language barriers, geography, and varied circumstantial occurrences, so many walk through the transformative door and end up in similar places, motivated and invigorated to use their lives in the service of goodness, justice, mercy, and love.
In this episode, I visit with a being who has shown up in the world with a genuineness that I deeply appreciate. My guest, Jonathon Stalls, is the founder of Intrinsic Paths, and his feet have carried him on a mission to inspire the people he encounters.
Jonathon encourages us to embrace an unhurried, meditative way of being that has the potential to heal on a very deep and personal level, in turn offering the tools required to repair the desperate fissures in this world we all share.
He did not come to this place without going through the Bardo of personal pain, which I feel largely influenced his visceral understanding of the aching his human brothers and sisters experience. By acknowledging this deep creaking in the world, he is able to fully embrace the joyous cacophony that we so often disregard in the hustle to "be someone."
This is clear in Jonathon's deep love and connection to the unabashedly beautiful and simple things to be found in nature, which take on new and profound visual meaning through his artwork and nature-craft.
Through his Pedestrian Dignity signal, he adopts a role as an advocate for our fellow beings that find themselves at the mercy of congested, poorly planned roadways and cities designed primarily for those of us with vehicles, cities, and communities that largely forget those that use their feet to carry them to school and work.
It is my reflection that Jonathon Stalls, through his life and work, is holding up a living mirror to the world. What we find in him is a shimmering beauty firmly attached to a murky pain. In that, I find a type of truth that escapes words or full understanding, but in this conversation, Jonathon and I try to put prose to this mystery.
Now, for just a little while, allow yourself to show up just as you are, with all your hopes and happiness, your failures and fears. Make a point to look right into the lovely mess, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT JONATHAN STALLS — https://www.intrinsicpaths.com/
SUPPORT JONATHAN'S WORD — https://www.patreon.com/intrinsicpaths
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 118, “The Honored Struggle,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Wendy De Rosa, author of "Becoming An Empowered Empath: How To Clear Energy, Set Boundaries, & Embody Your Intuition" by New World Library.
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Many longtime Find the Good News listeners would likely recall the number of times that I've brought the subject of empathy into these conversations in a very serious way. There have been times over the past two years where I've felt that I'd exhausted the topic, or rather exhausted myself in an attempt to express what being an empath has been like for me. As with most things, I've been exploring the boundary of my own experiences in an attempt to learn through the stories and experiences of others.
Being an empath has offered the gift of deep listening and understanding on a level akin to actually feeling what others themselves have experienced. This is a great blessing to others when one is attempting to step into the role of consoler and healer, but it can also feel like a deep ache or heaviness when the wings of an empathetic heart are stretched and burdened beyond their capacity to carry the hurt of others.
I, like many who go through life with naturally empathetic hearts, have likely felt a great moaning rise over the past decade, or longer. With so much pain and suffering, so much discord, dishevelment, and division, it is often hard to discern one's own feelings from the soup of signals we have moved through.
In this conversation with Wendy De Rosa, author of the new book "Becoming An Empowered Empath: How To Clear Energy, Set Boundaries & Embody Your Intuition," I for the very first time, have a guest that clearly and openly speaks about the reality of being an empath.
Wendy offers helpful perspectives and strong guidance on how to enhance day-to-day living through empathetic gifts, while not being consumed by the onslaught of feelings that are often not our own. Through her school of Intuitive Studies, Wendy assists students on their path of self-discovery through guided meditation, breathwork, and energy clearing.
Wendy offers insights that bring comfort and healing to the soul. For me, it was an opportunity to open my empathetic heart in a space of safety with an individual that didn't require an explanation of who I am or who I behave. Wendy offered the gift that I so often wish I could give, the gift of a listening ear, an understanding mind, and a loving heart.
Now, it's time to enter a space of safety and freedom, freedom to lay your burdens down for a short time, to let go of anything that's causing you grief, especially the pains that most can't see. Take a break from the entanglements of arrangements, habits, and identity, and allow yourself to just feel what you feel. Be with it, and know that it's okay. Then, dear listener, to tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT WENDY DE ROSA — https://schoolofintuitivestudies.com/
BUY "BECOMING AN EMPOWERED EMPATH" — https://bookshop.org/books/becoming-an-empowered-empath-how-to-clear-energy-set-boundaries-embody-your-intuition/9781608687190
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Thursday Aug 12, 2021
Thursday Aug 12, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 117, “The Weeping Sunset,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Rev. Dr. Kenneth Patrick, author of "Journeying to the End of Life: Discovering the Ancient Hospice Way of Companioning the Dying."
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Often, it's in revisiting a conversation during editing that its value truly sinks in. As you may know, it could be several weeks, or even months, after I've had a visit with a guest before their episode is published. On many occasions, going back to listen to the conversation reveals little details I missed, or perhaps didn't key in on, while in the natural flow with a guest. Or, as I had happened with this particular episode, the world around me changes in ways that affect my interior landscape, giving new meaning to my guests' words. When considered in this light, editing becomes less a necessary task and more of a gift.
My guest in this episode, Reverend Doctor Kenneth Patrick, an ordained Methodist Minister, gave me the great gift of his time, and it has acted as a prescription for what ails me as we face, yet again, another surge of the Covid 19 virus in the United States of America.
The truth is, I've been circling the drain and have felt myself losing hope in my fellow beings' capacity to do the right thing, resolved to simply bear witness and weep privately for all the dismay and despair on full display. How am I to produce a show about finding the good when I clearly hold a tarnished view of those I would call human brothers and sisters? I need these episodes as much as anyone, I need to hear these good people doing good works in the world, people like Kenneth Patrick, who have dedicated their lives to the service of others, even though they too bear witness to the same calamities as I.
Kenneth is the author of the book "Journeying to the End of Life," and in it he presents what he calls the "Ancient Hospice Way" of being a true companion and servant to the dying.
In our conversation, Kenneth reveals that at a young age he made a type of pact with himself, that he would serve where people were suffering the most. You will discover, as I did, that he has spent his whole life doing that very thing.
Kenneth advocates moving outside our comfort bubbles and into situations that require work, work that effectively changes the world in a real and tangible way so that it can truly meet and help others where they are.
As an Army Chaplain, Kenneth brought solace and comfort to soldiers. As a compassionate social activist, he has hiked the Appalachian Trail solo—that's over 2,100 miles—to raise enough money to help the RAM house, a day shelter for the homeless in Virginia, an endeavor that has helped over 5,000 people, serving over 41,000 meals.
All the experiences of his life have lead to his current passion, providing compassionate companionship and care to those facing the end of their lives, considering this to be the most vital social issue of our age. The hospice method that he presents brings patients, families, healthcare professionals, and faith communities together in unison to reduce the layers of suffering that occur during the sunset of life, outlining training and resources so human beings can die at home, with dignity, well cared for, surrounded by those they love.
Now, if you are like me, if you are feeling the burden of a world in pain, weary from too much bad news, I invite you to listen to this conversation with a man that does not deny or turn away from the reality of the difficult age we find ourselves in, a man that encourages us to lean into our weeping during this time of sunset, and in the tears find a divine love. It is an encouragement to work and to hope. I invite you, dear listener, to tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT KENNETH — https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwbooks/article/Rev-Dr-Kenneth-Patrick-Launches-New-Marketing-Campaign-for-JOURNEYING-TO-THE-END-OF-LIFE-20141117
BUY JOURNEYING TO THE END OF LIFE — https://www.amazon.com/Journeying-End-Life-Discovering-Companioning/dp/1449054757
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Thursday Jul 29, 2021
Thursday Jul 29, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 116, “The Burdensome Backpack,” A Road Trip episode featuring Mickey Shannon of Resource Management Services
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After a much-needed summer break, Find the Good News is back with a special Road Trip episode. It had been quite a while since my last road trip recording, and while I didn't have to travel far to meet my guest, it was still refreshing to be out of doors.
In this episode, I got to visit with Mickey Shannon under the great blue sky at Prien Lake Park in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Mickey and I share a common friendship with my high school speech teacher, and dear friend, Aleta Barnes, who, if you will recall from episode 33, has been more of a mentor than either of us realized at the time.
I trust Aleta, so when she suggested that Mickey and I make a connection, I did so without hesitation. This pre-existing bond is a direct link in the Good News chain that led to my sitting across from Mickey on such a mildly breezy day, months before the summer slog-and-bake weather moved into Southwest Louisiana.
Mickey is the CEO and President of Resource Management Services, a business that has been providing behavioral health services in Southwest Louisiana for over 25 years. Like most of us, Mickey is so much more than her official title, although after sitting with her, it is was very easy to see why she was called to service in her particular field.
Honestly, this wasn't the first time I'd sat down to visit with Mickey under the clear blue sky. Not too long ago, she invited me to the peaceful bayou that borders her property to dig Iris flowers for transplant around my small lotus pool. On that day, we sat down on the soft grass of her front lawn and had a friendly visit there as well.
Mickey is an artist, and if you seek out her works you'll find a comforting blend of local creatures and fauna, as well as a healthy dose of spiritual vision. It is clear to me that Mickey wants to improve the quality of the lives she comes in contact with, whether it be those in her close circles, or in the larger rings surrounding her community. Whatever you want to call this method of moving through life that Mickey Shannon has adopted is probably fine; she doesn't seem to concern herself too much with labels. Mickey is more intent on living as well as she can while being a blessing to others using her gifts and resources.
I'd like to believe that there are more people in this world, especially in my community, like Mickey. She's a reminder to me that even if I don't see them, they are out there among us. That gives me a strong dose of comfort and resolve to keep taking these little trips to meet with people just like her.
Now, it's time to get out of doors, get out of your head, and take a little drive with me, turn the wheel toward the good heart I found in Mickey Shannon, then press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES — https://www.resourcemgtservices.com/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Friday Jun 25, 2021
Friday Jun 25, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 115, “The Human Story,” featuring Christy Comeaux and Katie Pennington-Bartlett of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library
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If you've been listening to Find the Good News for any length of time, I'm sure you've figured out that I, like so many, have an affinity for reading. My dad loved to read pocketbooks and comic books, and I am certain that I can draw a direct line from my love for both of those things to the yellowing pages in his collection of Doc Savage books that now sit on my bookshelf.
Reading opened up worlds, seeded my imagination, and stimulated my curiosity at a young age. For all the wonders presented by the information age, I am thankful to have been born into a world decades before laptops, tablets, and smartphones started bending our necks.
I recall loving the libraries in our community when I was a child. I would often ride my bicycle into town and make a stop there, library card in hand, looking for instructions for existing hobbies, or chance encounters with new interests.
The Calcasieu Parish Public Library in my hometown was a refuge filled with information that nurtured my young mind. Looking back, I feel grateful, and I also realize that I was likely unappreciative of this social staple.
In this episode of Find the Good News, I had the pleasure of revisiting many of these experiences in my conversation with Calcasieu Parish Public Library Information Officer, Christy Comeaux, and Calcasieu Parish Public Library Associate II with Branch Programming, Katie Pennington-Bartlett.
This conversation put me face-to-face with the level of my ignorance related to all of the offerings and services the modern Calcasieu Parish Public Library provides. Certainly, the public library is, and will always be, a resource for those with an appetite for page-turning, but under the stewardship of passionate librarians, just like Christy and Katie, these repositories of diverse knowledge have become so much more.
The library is an ecumenical hub that provides many free resources that some citizens would not have access to otherwise. As you'll learn in this conversation, our libraries are helmed by people that do much more than point citizens in the direction of their desired content; they are staffed by human beings that serve with open minds and listening hearts.
I don't know where you live, but if you have a library in your community, I hope the spirit of this conversation with Christy and Katie will move you through its doors or motivate you to seek out its online portal. There, perhaps you'll find, as have, that a library isn't just a home for good books; it is a cradle that carries on the collective stories of humanity, town to town, city to city, one librarian to one curious seeker, all across the world.
Now, ask yourself if you've got a current library card. If the answer is no, then take some time to get one. Prepare to meet your local librarian, who I am sure is eagerly waiting to assist you. Before you go, make sure you press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CALCASIEU PARISH PUBLIC LIBRARY — https://calcasieulibrary.libnet.info/
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UPLOAD YOUR ART TO THE CPBL "HOPE & RESILIENCE" VIRTUAL ART SHOW — https://calcasieulibrary.libnet.info/artexhibit
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Monday Jun 21, 2021
Monday Jun 21, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 114, “The Foldover Worlds,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Dream Analyst and Depth Psychologist, Tayria Ward.
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I started having potent dreams on repeat when I was a young boy, mindscapes so dense with texture and gravity that it was not unusual for me to question whether the space I found myself in upon awakening wasn't in fact the dream.
In my early twenties, these flavorful dreams—called such because I could taste them in my mouth—seemed to intensify, often bringing heavy imagery, charged with some type of misfortune.
Still, other dreams—much brighter and lighter in tone—have had an almost vision-like quality, leading my heart and mind to some type of comforting sense of hope.
I've spoken of these things on my other podcast, The Dawn Deacon. Over the years I've taken great care to hold these things close and safe, not sharing them openly. I've learned that sharing your dreams in a serious way isn't always taken very seriously, at least within most of the larger rings I've traveled. This started to change last year when I opened the door to this podcast to guests from outside my local community, and this is also how I met my friend, dream analyst, and depth psychologist, Tayria Ward.
Tayria and I were in a group related to a book I'd featured on the show. There was quite a large number of people in the group, but Tayria's additions to the conversation were always insightful.
One day she shared an image of her father, herself, and Buckminster Fuller. During my early age of exploration and discovery after an awakening experience, I'd landed in a sphere of curiosity surrounding Buckminster Fuller; his story fascinated me. The photo of Tayria with her father and Bucky breathed life into my old interest, so I reached out to her. We became fast friends through this node, and have stayed in a type of orbit since, eventually become letter-and-stamp pen pals, a form of communication that, thanks to Tayria's rich letters, I am learning to cherish all over again.
Tayria's journey is as rich and textured as my young dreams, filled with the promise that there is more connective tissue between our slumbering minds and what most call the real world. What I admire most about Tayria is her willingness to kindly walk with others along the vastness of their dreamscapes, acting as a type of dream sherpa, bringing all her experience to each space or plateau.
To me, she seems to stands on many layers at once, with an ability to perceive the overlapping slides between individuals and their personal dreams, as well as their experiences, looking for collective and synchronistic lock-ups that may hold greater meaning for everyone on earth.
While our visit is about the layered worlds of visions and dreams, it is also grounded in very real experiences that play out in our dusty, ordinary lives. As you listen to my conversations with Tayria, I feel strongly that you will sense that firm tether to this realm of the real, and that you will find a great treasure, as I have, in getting to know Tayria Ward.
Now, I invite you to find a fluid, flexible space that allows you to sink your consciousness a bit deeper than the solid footing near the shallows, allowing shifting mind-sand and heart-waves to make you question the direction gravity plays on your body, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT TAYRIA WARD — https://tayriaward.com/
DREAM SYMPOSIUM — https://tayriaward.com/dream-symposium/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES — www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Thursday Jun 17, 2021
Thursday Jun 17, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 113, “The Recovery Defense,” featuring Scotty Higginbotham, Business Development Outreach Coordinator with American Addiction Centers
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One of the great gifts that the Find the Good News podcast has given me is a platform to reconnect with people. We all meet people in our lives through businesses, groups, events, and other gatherings, and if you're like me you may never get that opportunity to connect again outside of those collectives.
Find the Good News has opened old doors and made seats at the table of conversation, and I feel lucky to have this resource to reconnect in a meaningful way. My guest in episode 113 —Scotty Higginbotham, the Business Development Outreach Coordinator for American Addiction Centers—is one of those people.
It had been almost a decade since I'd met Scotty and almost as long since we'd spoken. At first blush, his job title and professional affiliation indicated that he was the type of guest that listeners would appreciate. What I discovered in taking this conversational journey is that the path he has tread to his role with American Addiction Centers was not without his own addiction challenges and ongoing recovery practices.
What Scotty shares is honest and undiluted, a true portrait of what addiction looks like, how it affects human beings on the ground, those that love them, and the true face of those that meet our brothers and sisters, offering a hopeful hand in what is often their greatest moment of despair. He tells his story without pruning the details, leaving the thistles and thorns that sting. In my opinion, he must tell it this way so others, those he helps through his role, understand that he sees them because he has been them.
This visit is a reminder for me that there are people, like Scotty, who are on call and ready to help those in the stranglehold of addiction, no questions asked.
Now, take some time to really let your heart and mind consider the power addiction has over so many of those we all love, remembering that even in their darkest moments there are helpers in recovery that are reaching out, then press play on a little good news.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS — https://www.findthegood.news/donate/
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LEARN MORE ABOUT AMERICAN ADDICTION CENTERS — https://americanaddictioncenters.org/
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CONTACT SCOTTY HIGGINBOTHAM — 337-352-1527
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 112, “The Fist Switch,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Paula Lazarz, Shaolin martial artist, Soto Zen Buddhist priest, and head instructor at Healthkick Kung Fu in Chicago, Illinois.
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For most of my adult life, I've been looking for fixed truths, constants that can be identified over and again, no matter the unique circumstances and shifting forces in play. What I've found on this search is that the only fixed constant is that there really is no solid truth. Reality is made up of bumps, cracks, twists, and bends, and when all those nuanced layers come together we feel we've found a truth, or a way. If we sit with that perception long enough, we might be blessed to see that fixed thing dissolve or change before our very eyes.
I share this perspective because it feels very much linked to the conversation I had with Shaolin martial artist and Soto Zen Buddhist priest, Paula Lazarz. Paula Lazarz is the lead instructor of Healthkick Kung Fu in Chicago, Illinois, a school that has been teaching the traditional arts of the Shaolin Temple to children and adults for over two decades.
As someone that claims to practice Buddhism to some degree, I have been fascinated by the juxtaposition of the physicality of Shaolin Kung Fu with the seemingly docile meditation practices encouraged by most schools of Buddhism. In our conversation, Paula provides useful, grounded insight into how these two dance together.
The truth is, she helped me better understand the relationship between the two, and make peace with my personal struggles of using firmness or force situationally. I left this conversation with a better grasp on how to wield the elements of passivity within me situationally, realizing that those gentle features are not always the right tools for a given moment.
She reminded me that circumstances are always shifting and that it is very important to have eyes to see the changes, and diverse practices at the ready for whatever may arise.
Now, I invite you to listen to a Shaolin teacher with a true gift for bringing insightful and powerful practices down to earth, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT HEALTHKICK KUNG FU >> https://healthkickkungfu.com/
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Friday May 28, 2021
Friday May 28, 2021
Find the Good News, Episode 111, “The Butterfly on the Battlefield,” featuring Justin Roberts of Echo Bravo Productions and the Do Good web series
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Tragedy has a way of bringing people together and producing durable bonds, often shaping and directing people to new missions. Over again we see survivors of extreme situations and events take on news roles with great fervor, reentering the fray with a resolve to help others find hope as they make their way through difficult times.
In this episode, I have the privilege of sharing my conversation with one such individual, former Army Chaplain Justin Roberts of Echo Bravo Productions and the co-host and producer of the web series Do Good. Do Good is a new web series focused on telling the stories of real people and real helpers who put their resources to work for the hurricane-battered citizens of the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
As I sit to reflect on my conversation with Justin, it's not lost on me that Memorial Day is approaching, which is also a sign for many weather-weary that hurricane season is upon us once again. Normally, these two things would have no relationship with each other, but the trauma and remaining PTSD of war and natural disaster have come together in a unique way in Justin Roberts and his documentaries.
In our conversation, Justin shares candidly the pain and beauty of his experiences as a wartime Army Chaplain in Afghanistan and reveals how a meaningful encounter with a fellow soldier, his co-host for the Do Good series, created a durable bond that helped each find ways to find hope again, offering the veterans a clarity of purpose in a shifting culture, and open space to speak truthfully and freely about their experiences.
It was clear in our visit, and from watching the Do Good series, that Justin has found great value in connecting people to something good, something hopeful, something that reminds them of the best side of humanity. Justin goes so far as to say he has become an expert in finding hope, which he deems critical to his mental health and survival. Considering what Justin and his co-host have witnessed—a microcosm of war and despair that those of us living in safety, comfort, and abundance can barely imagine—it is an inspiration to bear witness as they use their skills to make peace and grow personally while not deleting or repressing some of the most painful experiences humans can endure.
This conversation is a timely Memorial Day reminder that there are servicemen and women, right now, living in the churn, and many won't come home. It is also a reminder that many of my fellow citizens along the battered and blue-tarp-covered Louisiana Gulf Coast are holding their breath, watching the radar, hoping and praying for a reprieve that may or may not come this hurricane season.
It would be my advice to watch Justin Roberts right now, and his Do Good web series and look for a reminder of that hope, that good news, that everyone is holding out for.
Now, it's time to forget about all the things that divide us and tear us apart, and pay attention to people that, in spite of burdens, pain, and odds, turn their attention to helping others, then press play on a little good news.
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Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 110, “The Best We Can Be,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Kristi Hustad, author of "Be You... Only Better: Real-life Self-care for Young Adults (And Everyone Else)" published by New World Library
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I don't really know what it was like for my mom and dad to raise a family, trying to keep their kids entertained, happy, and healthy with all the supplies it takes to provide shelter, education, and some type of security. As hard as they worked—and I do know they worked hard—I know we still ended up being parents ourselves, each with childhood traumas and fears to pick through, tripwires and triggers that have affected the way we each made our way forward into adulthood.
I can easily imagine that this is a story that's repeated over and again, and for all my sweat, blood, and tears, I am sure that I'm making mistakes right now that my children will have to work through.
So, if our parents are doing their level best, and their parents did their level best, and we are doing our level best, what else can we do to help our young people gain firm footing as they move forward into this messy world—much messier than the one we came from—and try to piece together an adult life filled with hope, happiness, stability, peace, and success?
This is where the work of my guest, Kristi Hugstad comes in with some answers in the form of her new book "Be You... Only Better: Real-life Self-care for Young Adults (And Everyone Else)."
I'll be 47 years old this year, and while this book may be targeted to young adults, I found myself consuming it with shocking excitement. In this new book, Kristi Hugstad offers a holistic approach to prepare young people for the world their about to entire, offering useful, practical information and real-world scenarios related to the subjects of diet, sleep, money, time, mental health, exercise, gratitude, and mindfulness. It all added up to one that thing, an important thing that I find sorely lacking in the world today, and that is hope.
In our visit, I learned that Kristi is full of hope, but it has been hard-won. Early in our conversation, you will discover what I discovered in reading her book, that it has been in journeying through great personal loss and deep grief that she has brought forth a message of self-betterment and healing.
Even as I approach 50 years on this earth, I find that I need to encounter teachers like Kristi. She reminds me of the teachers and mentors that touched my life as a young person, and how their lessons are durable to this day. While this particular work may be for young adults, I found that I fall into the category of everyone else, and perhaps you will discover this as well.
I left our conversation feel refreshed and even more motivated to offer my children the best version of me, a self that I am still crafting.
Now, it's time to consider that you, like me, may still have some things to learn about living well, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 109, “The Law of Change,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Margaret Meloni, Ph.D., host of the Death Dhamma podcast and author of "Carpooling With Death: How Living With Death Will Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Fearless"
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There is a small note tacked to a piece of corkboard near my desk, the letters stark white against an inky black square. These words, "CHANGE IS THE LAW," have stared back at me from this small slip of paper for almost 20 years, serving as a reminder of the Buddha's teaching on impermanence, reminding me that everything that comes together eventually falls apart.
At first blush, this may seem like a dismal outlook, encouraging nihilism, and a glass-half-empty perspective that could be quite depressing. While I understand this, that has not been my personal experience with teachings on impermanence, change, nor death. The truth is that in accepting this trinity of decay as a natural, ever-present part of life, I have found a luminous jewel in life that tends to shine brighter when juxtaposed with death's looming presence.
In many ways, death is a door to life unfolded, be it minutes or years. At the very least, death is a tool that can be used to appreciate every precious, life-giving drop in a half-full-glass of water. This is the door in which my guest, Margaret Meloni, operates.
Margaret is the host of the Death Dhamma podcast, a unique series of conversations about death from a Buddhist perspective, and the author of "Carpooling With Death: How Living With Death Will Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Fearless." Having lost many of her dearest, treasured loved ones, Margaret is no stranger to death.
Through her book and her podcast, she has created a unique space and resource of practical wisdom, perspective, and comfort for those who may be navigating the difficult terrain of grief and loss. Margaret doesn't make promises, or outline some mystical formula to follow that will remove death's painful sting, and I think that is what I found most appealing. Instead, what I found was an honest approach to looking at the sting itself, understanding that death's painful shock is normal, but ultimately it too is in the throes of the great law of impermanence, fleeting just as it arrives.
Her personal Buddhist practice provides obvious, tactile teachings that have been a great vehicle through her own experiences with life, death, and grief. She has the lovely ability to share those lessons in textured, nuanced ways, making them more approachable to those in the throes of misfortune.
It is my hope that you will find our conversation useful in your own life, but more, if you have experienced the loss of a loved one, I would encourage you to seek out her podcast and her book.
Now, it's time to look directly at the visage of death, to know its imprint on the world of time, to accept change as a natural—even fruitful—part of life, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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Monday Feb 22, 2021
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Find the Good News, Episode 108, “The Prisoners” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Venerable De Hong, Co-Founder of the Engaged Buddhist Alliance
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My father was a United States Marine that served as a combat engineer in the Vietnam war. On January 21, 1968, he was on the Marine base at Khe Sahn getting a short reprieve from the horrors of war. It was the Lunar New Year and the beginning of the Tet holiday. A cease-fire was about to begin, or at least that's what he thought. Instead, it was the beginning of a massive attack on United States forces by the communist forces of North Vietnam. He spoke of it often and as a young boy, I could barely enlarge my imagination enough to encompass what he shared.
The siege finally ended in July the same year. The miseries of the Vietnam war would leave a lasting impact on my daddy, the United States, and citizens of Vietnam who were soon to live under the iron boot of a North Vietnamese communist regime.
My guest and I did not speak about this during our visit. Instead, what I heard was his account of being a 5-year-old boy living in the shadow of the Vietnam war. During the holiday of Tet, while my father was fighting in a foxhole at Khe Sanh, my guest—only 5 years old—was being rushed from his bed in the middle of the night by his mother and father, pillow in hand, the evening sky illuminated by thunderous munitions, the sharp cracks of gunfire, and the circadian hum of helicopters flying overhead. These sounds would leave trauma in the minds of both him and my father, and it would lead them both down completely different paths.
In this episode, I am honored to share my conversation with Venerable De Hong, the co-founder of the Engaged Buddhist Alliance, a Buddhist organization that works with individuals in the California prison system, helping them to cultivate mindfulness and meditation practices.
De Hong's journey from Vietnam to California is difficult to fathom as I was born with some degree of privilege. At the age of 18, escaping communist Vietnam with his younger brother, De Hong became a refugee. At the mercy of strangers, he navigated the difficulties of immigrating to the United States. With no working knowledge of English and only $10 to his name, he eventually graduated college, became a U.S. citizen, and acclimated to American life, and it is there that it seems his Dharma path began. Like many of us in the United States, he became overworked and overwhelmed, eventually finding refuge in Buddhism, the religion of this homeland, taking the ordination vows and training of a Buddhist monk.
Informed by the teachings of the Buddha, Venerable De Hong was drawn to enter the prison systems and serve those that society has deemed irredeemable. His tools are direct and simple but have had a profound impact on the lives of those he serves. De Hong feels strongly that the Dharma—the teachings of the Buddha—is a bell of mindfulness that reminds us to look directly into the suffering of the world and offer a way out of the suffering, to apply the great medicine of compassion.
With letters, books, meditation training, and the gift of presence, De Hong and the Engaged Buddhist Alliance helps turn the wheel away from unspeakable trauma, helping prisoners find their original good nature, and allowing them to begin the process of touching the world with more loving hands, hearts, and minds. One day at a time, one being at a time, the Venerable De Hong transmutes and transforms the old migratory trauma of war-torn landscapes into pure lands of joy.
Connected across space and time by war and religion, I am happy to call him my friend, and my true brother.
Now, it's time to learn how trauma passes through cultures, across borders, into bloodlines, over oceans, and takes root in prisons, understanding that no matter what pain we've experienced, there is always hope for change, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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Tuesday Feb 09, 2021
Tuesday Feb 09, 2021
Find the Good News, Episode 107, “The Hinge Moment,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Reverend Shannon Fleck, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches
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Take a good look around you, at the people in your community, the leaders, the ministers, the people in positions of authority or power, and pay attention to what you see? Do they look like you, think like you, and generally believe the same things you believe?
On reflection, and if I'm being really honest about it, that's what I've experienced most of my life. For the most part, I could easily fit in anywhere, especially if I kept my mouth shut and my thoughts to myself. As long as I behaved and didn't push the boundaries of the status quo then the unseen hand was generally welcoming.
When we're not personally running into boundaries it's easy to think that everything is alright in the world for everyone, especially when our focus is dialed in on our own needs. What about everyone else outside that narrow tunnel, the people in our communities that don't see themselves represented in the positions of power or authority, those who can't easily slide on the rails of the system by simply playing along?
For whatever the reason— religion, race, financial status, sexuality—we have human brothers and sisters that aren't invited to the table of privilege. Further, many in privileged positions have been curating the systems to keep it that way by perpetuating outdated secular norms. This is the precise territory that Reverend Shannon Fleck operates, and it's why I asked her to visit with me on Find the Good News.
Reverend Fleck is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, a coalition of faith communities, Christian denominations, interfaith organizations, and secular nonprofits that work to connect society to faith-based communities.
This mission and this conversation are personal for Shannon. She holds, as do I, that people are informed by what they see, and when they do not see themselves properly represented they are actually being held back from the fullness of humanity, effectively stunting their growth into their full potential, neutering communities from the enrichment that diversity and variety brings.
Reverend Fleck is a Christian faith leader that is publicly addressing the very real and present issues that many Churches are not addressing. While she isn't a fan of the particularly partisan marriage of religion-and-politics, she does lean her Christian faith directly into restorative justice, as well as the avoidance of umbrella terms that simply placate and maintain old social norms.
Shannon wraps her arms around a grace that is inviting, a grace of inclusion, and refuses to sacrifice people against the threshing stone of theology. Reverend Shannon Fleck and the coalition she represents are very concerned with how to represent people, ensuring that they can see themselves sitting at the table.
Now, it's time to check our privilege, get informed, consider some personal actions and changes, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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Thursday Feb 04, 2021
Thursday Feb 04, 2021
Ep. 106 - The Escape Pod - Ft. James Hiatt, Interim Worship Leader at University Methodist Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana
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It wasn't hard to come up with a proper reflection for my conversation with James Hiatt. James and I met online in overlapping territory, and it was clear from the very beginning that I'd discovered a spiritual brother.
While our personal stories are very different, we have somehow found our way to a common road wide enough to share, and there's plenty of space for others. What was clear from the jump is that James has opened his heart to wisdom, over and again, and in doing so he has expanded the boundaries of what we assume to know.
This conversation has fibers of rebellion and doubt, bound up with the nutriments of healing and hope. More than anything, James and I talk about Jesus, which acted as a much-needed inhalation of clean, fresh, rejuvenating spirit.
James comes from a place of recovery that has been infused with a mystical perspective and understanding that fuels his passion for inclusivity. The truth is that it is a very rare and healing pleasure to speak so openly and freely with someone about Jesus, God, and the Christ.
James showed me a face of Christ that I am so fondly attracted to, and that is the face of Christ that I see planted firmly in the world, out in the wild, with us, not separate from us. He reminds me of the high value of being with the people of the world—in the world—as they are, instead of preparing some grand escape from the worries and woes.
It leavens my heart to be able to share this intimate visit with you.
Now, it's time to lay aside theology and preconceived notions, prepare to have the temple razed and built anew, then press play on a little good news.
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Tuesday Jan 26, 2021
Tuesday Jan 26, 2021
You’re listening to Find the Good News, Episode 105, “The Dark Heart,” A Beacon Series conversation featuring Lisa Diane McCall, life coach and author of The Rhythm of the Soul: A Journey of Loss and Discovery
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Have you ever made a decision, with no hesitation, that you knew would change your life? A choice that was so clear, so pure, that you could almost perceive the path it would lead you down? That's precisely the type of decision Lisa Diane McCall made when she decided to go on a vision quest in the Sahara Desert under the ancient and experienced guidance of the Tuareg nomads.
Lisa has shared much of the magic and life-changing mysticism she experienced in the Sahara through her book, "The Rhythm of the Soul: A Journey of Loss and Discovery," an enchanting work of vibrant fiction—existing in a unique category she has called "Magical Realism"—which is informed by Lisa's very real and transformative Saharan quests.
Lisa has tooled her personal longings and nomadic travels into good works for others, drawing on her diverse background and training in biology, anthropology, international health, vision questing, and shamanism.
I felt a quickening in my visit with Lisa, a siblinghood that I seek and deeply long to experience more often. Worlds apart, I understood how in sharing this conversational space together we might invite others to seek out and experience a quest of their own.
We spoke of wonderful, elevated, transformational things, and I feel I am better for having been invited into Lisa McCall's circle.
Now, it's time to heed the call to visit far away, ancient lands. Allow your imagination to soar on warm Saharan winds. Rest your mind around crackling embers. Sooth your soul under the cool desert moon, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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Tuesday Jan 19, 2021
Tuesday Jan 19, 2021
Ep. 104—The Healthy Triggers—A Beacon Series conversation featuring Laura Zam, Sexuality Educator, Certified Trauma Professional, and author of The Pleasure Plan: One Woman's Search for Sexual Healing
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When I read Laura Zam's book, "The Pleasure Plan," I could clearly see how her work with trauma and its effects on human sexuality would be of great value to me personally.
In her book, Laura opens up about her own traumatic experiences, sharing very candid details that created serious intimacy issues, not only with her partners but with herself.
If you listen to this show often, you know that I advocate exploring our inner workings, going precisely to the pain to apply healing light. Laura, it seems, approves the same course of action. By taking this path herself, she has turned what she discovered into a source of wellness, pleasure, and sexual healing for others.
I was surprised to learn that "The Pleasure Plan" was her first book in our conversation. She has a natural storytelling ability, a gift of drawing the reader into each situation, painting fine lines and fleshing out details, adding volume to the spaces and circumstances she shares.
Laura cuts right through the noise by saying what needs to be said, even if the subjects seem taboo, and her comfort in sharing discomfort put me at ease. In this episode, I opened up and talked about things I've never spoken of before. I believe that is because Laura created a space of listening, love, and genuine care. She understands that for people to speak freely about traumatic experiences—particularly sexual trauma—they need to know they are safe and witnessed with eyes of non-judgment.
Human beings are sexual creatures, and sex should be a source of joy and pleasure, not a fearful reminder of sorrow, shame, or pain. Thankfully, there are people in this world like Laura Zam that understand this, and more, they put themselves on personal missions to help others.
Now, it's time to get comfortable—I mean, really, really comfortable—open yourself to the idea that there might be something just for you in this conversation, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Thursday Jan 07, 2021
Ep. 103 - The Phoenix and the Dragon - A Beacon Series Interview Ft. Christine Arylo, author of "Overwhelmed & Over It: Embrace Your Power to Stay Centered & Sustained in a Chaotic World" by New World Library
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Welcome to the first episode of 2021. I'm not sure that I could have handpicked a much more relevant guest to kick off the new year than author, feminine leadership advisor, and feminine leadership advisor Christine Arylo.
Christine agreed to visit with me on Find the Good News to discuss her new book, "Overwhelmed & Over It: Embrace Your Power to Stay Centered & Sustained in a Chaotic World." The new book is directly pointed at women who are facing the merry-go-round of pressures that often lead to system burnout.
What I found in reading this new work, and in my dynamic visit with Christine, was that the stresses of keeping all the floats balanced out, especially in the wildly chaotic times we've seen throughout 2020, has an equally corrosive effect on men as well.
Christine helped me realize some old, self-sacrificing habits I've fallen into and perpetuated throughout my adult life. By labeling these habits as "compassion," I have basically been giving myself permission to self destruct.
Christine's mission is to help beings develop healthier decisions and actions that can lead through the sticky chaos patterns that dominate us. I believe that applying even a portion of what Christine shares can help bring a richer, fuller life into fruition.
Now, it's time to lay down the endless array of tasks, responsibilities, sacrificing, and outdated approaches you may be using to get through your days, then tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
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EXPLORE NEW WORD LIBRARY >> https://www.newworldlibrary.com/Books.aspx
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